Thread: MD-Kratovil seeks tough immigration approach

Kratovil seeks tough immigration approach
By Greg Latshaw
January 30, 2010

Comments(4)Recommend(1)



SALISBURY -- Maryland Rep. Frank Kratovil is part of a bipartisan group of freshman legislators calling for Congress to clamp down on illegal immigration.


"We're a nation of immigrants, but I want it to be done lawfully," Kratovil, the former Queen Anne's County state's attorney, said Friday.
Kratovil, a Democrat, joined 21 House freshmen -- a group including 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats -- to introduce a resolution called the Bipartisan Reform of Immigration through Defining Good Enforcement resolution.

The resolution tells Congress to follow a set guidelines when it takes up immigration reform. If passed, the resolution wouldn't result in any new rules, but its backers hope it would help shape the reform debate. President Barack Obama did not address immigration reform in this week's State of the Union address, perhaps a signal that the issue won't be taken up until others, such as health care reform, are concluded.
The BRIDGE resolution lays out three main components to immigration reform. It states that Congress should reject amnesty for illegal immigrants now in the county, require all employers to use an E-Verify system and fortify the country's border control operations.
"At the same time we're talking about enforcement, ... we need to stress the value of legal immigrants," Kratovil said.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, said immigration reform should start with punishing illegal behavior, not rewarding it.
"Any discussion of comprehensive immigration reform must begin with a renewed commitment to enforce our immigration laws," Chaffetz said.
CASA de Maryland, a Latino and immigrant organization, disagrees with the enforcement principles in the BRIDGE resolution, said Helen Melton, an advocacy specialist with the organization.

First off, Melton said it's important to recognize that immigrants in Maryland account for $22 billion of purchasing power. Furthermore, the E-Verify system called for in the resolution has flaws, she said. When used by the Social Security Administration, she said, there were 17.8 million cases in which E-Verify files contained erroneous data, of which 12.7 million cases involved U.S. citizens.




"E-Verify would not be the appropriate way to review data," Melton said.



CASA de Maryland supports immigration reform that would legalize the status of the millions of undocumented workers in the U.S., Melton said. She said any conditions would need to be "humane and take into consideration the value of the work and services that immigrant communities provide to the U.S."

Brad Bellacicco, executive director of the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce, said immigration reform will have to send a clear message to businesses with regard to verifying employment.
"Businesses find themselves in the middle, checking on immigration status and not violating a person's privacy," he said.

Within several months, Kratovil said he plans on introducing a bill that would increase penalties for businesses that knowingly and purposefully hire illegal immigrants. The bill would punish employers after just one case of wrongful hiring and would make the offense punishable with jail time, he said.

"I don't know why anyone would oppose that. It would require proof of intentionally breaking the law," Kratovil said.
glatshaw@dmg.gannett.com


http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/2010 ... 4/1002/rss

She said any conditions would need to be "humane and take into consideration the value of the work and services that immigrant communities provide to the U.S."

And [/b]TOTALLY ignore how many jobs are lost to these invaders who take from the system and put nothing other than perhaps sales tax in!

When used by the Social Security Administration, she said, there were 17.8 million cases in which E-Verify files contained erroneous data, of which 12.7 million cases involved U.S. citizens.

Yea, probably because 12.7 million people had their identities stolen by illegal aliens.

Originally Posted by FedUpinFarmersBranch

CASA de Maryland, a Latino and immigrant organization, disagrees with the enforcement principles in the BRIDGE resolution, said Helen Melton, an advocacy specialist with the organization.

CASA de Maryland supports immigration reform that would legalize the status of the millions of undocumented workers in the U.S., Melton said. She said any conditions would need to be "humane and take into consideration the value of the work and services that immigrant communities provide to the U.S."

I AM SO SICK AND TIRED OF CASA DE MARYLAND!!!

I FEEL LIKE CRYING OVER THIS I AM SO SICK OF THEM!!!!

i live in maryland. this organization, casa de maryland, is a disgusting, anti-american organization that is funded by MY TAX DOLLARS! my maryland government supports casa, and therefore i am FORCED to fund them with my tax dollars. it is repulsive!

casa uses MY tax dollars to aid & abet illegal aliens in maryland. they use MY tax dollars to find jobs for illegal aliens. they use MY tax dollars to bail illegal aliens out of jail. and they use MY tax dollars to assist illegals in getting government assistance.

maryalnd is spiraling downward FAST. in this state, as soon as any official tries some sort of immigration crackdown, casa de maryland cries foul, claims racial profiling, and puts and end to any advancement in immigration enforcement.

i don't know what to do anymore.

doesn't it seem as if somehow, we, the citizens of maryland can sue them? this is a government funded (partially funded) organization that has a sole purpose of aiding & abetting illegal aliens in maryland.

how can this anti-american organization be stopped?

PLEASE, I AM BEGGING FOR HELP ON BEHALF OF ALL MARYLAND CITIZENS!!!!!!

Furthermore, the E-Verify system called for in the resolution has flaws, she said. When used by the Social Security Administration, she said, there were 17.8 million cases in which E-Verify files contained erroneous data, of which 12.7 million cases involved U.S. citizens.

Of which more than 99% were simple typos and easily resolved. Don't you just hate when they leave that bit out?

so long as Casa de Maryland has our local government by the balls, this state will never have E-Verify.

ms-13 gangs have taken over southern maryland, and this area is just minutes away from the white house!!! disgusting!!